Indexing mechanism



July 23, 1946. H. c. FOSTER y INDEXING 'MECHANISM Filed July 14, 1944 ssheets-sheet' 1 INVENTOR HarfJar/f F05 fer' Y Mmm m July 23, 1946.

H. c. FOSTER 4 INnExI'NG MEcHANIsM Filed July 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENToR.

Harry Clark. Foster y ATTUKN Y y H. c. FOSTER- 'INDEXING MEQHANISM Filedmy- 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l ArroRN Y l Patented July 23, 1946 OFFICEINDEXING MECHANISM Harry Clark Foster, Alton, Ill., assgnor to linIndustries, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application July 14, 1944,Serial No. 544,983

(Cl. 10G-70) 10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to indexing mechanisms in general and moreparticularly to an improved work positioning mechanism.

An object of this invention is to' provide iin--V proved means formoving objects to predetermined positions with a high degree ofprecision.

Another object of this invention is to provide relatively simple, sturdyand inexpensive work positioning means in such mechanisms as punchpresses, drill presses, draw presses, ammunition loading machines, andthe like.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the descriptionsand accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view and Figures 2, 3 and 4 are side views partly insection, illustrating a cam and series of rollers in accordance with oneembodiment of this invention,

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a press illustrating oneembodiment of this-invention,

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a work carrying member and series ofrollers taken at section 6-6 of Figure 5 illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention, and

Figure 7 is a detailed plan view of the press partly in section taken atsection 'I-I of Figure 5.

In accordance with this invention the above objects are accomplished bythe provision of a novel work positioning mechanism having a series ofrollers with precise diameters and a cam for insertion between adjacentrollers, which cam effects a change in the relative positions of theseries of rollers and the cam. The series of rollers and cam are somounted that a work carrycontact with the adjacent roller.

ing member is moved forward an accurately de- 3, a cam I with camsurface 64 and dwell 65 isA movably mounted for insertion betweenadjacent rollers in the series of rollers 2. The series of rollers arepositioned for lateral movement only by means such as the channelsillustrated at l. One end of the series of rollers is positively heldagainst the stop or thrust block 4, the other end of the series ofrollers being held by thel abutting member .5, resilient member orspring 6, and abutment or stop 3. The position of the thrust block 4 inthe channels 1 may be adjusted .by means of adjustmentscrew 9. Thespring pilot I0 for guiding the spring 6 may be attached to the abutmentor stop 3 and the position of the stop 3 in the channel may likewise beadjusted by means of adjustment screw I I. Y

In Figure 2, the cam I is shown ready. for insertion between adjacentrollers. In Figure 3 the cam has been inserted between the adjacentrollers, thus forcing the thrust block 4 and channel 1 forward, to theleft, the diameter of one roller. Upon insertion of the cam between therollers, the thrust block I4 is, as stated above, moved forward thediameter of one roller and the space in the channel previously occupiedby the resilient member 6 is taken up by the cam I, so that the abuttingmember 5 is tightly in contact with `the stop 3 and neither the cam northe series ofjrollers is free to move either forward or backward,during' the time that the parallel vsurface or dwell 65 of the cam I isin It is 'during this dwell while the work is locked in position, thatthe tools act upon the work. The work carrying member, which isdrivingly connected either to the cam or series of rollers may thus beheld rigidly in position while a working operation is occurring. -InFigure 4, the cam I has been removed from between the rollers 2, and theresilient member 6 with abutting member I5 has pushed the next roller upfor action by cam surface `lill, upon the next insertion of the cam I.

It lwill thus be apparent that upon repeated 1nsertions of the cam, thethrust block 4 will be moved forward stepwise the diameter of one ormore rollers, depending upon the width, and surface 64, of the cam I,until the cam is in a sition lover the abutting member 5, whereupon itis necessary to again start the indexing with the cam above the rstroller adjacent the stop 4. It should likewise be understood that theseries of' rollers 2 may .be as long as is necessary or desired for theparticular purpose employed, the number of work positions depending uponthe number of rollers and number of rollers indexed with each caminsertion.

In Figures 5, 6, and 7 is shown a press, for instance for loadingammunition or the like, illustating one embodiment of applicantsinvention. A work carrying member or slide I2 is supported by slidesupport I3A andhas rigidly connected to it on each side channels 1,which channels I in turn carry series of rollers 2. The work may be YIipositioned and held on work carrying member Yor slide I2 by any suitablemeans. For instance,` in loading primers, the workcarrying member I2 mayhold a removable plate which is drilled to provide cavities for holdingthe primer cases'in 5 rows separated a distance exactly equal to thediameter of the rollers l2. The slide support I3 is mounted on pressframe I4. Y

The ram I5Y which carries theworking tools, as

well as the cams I', is driven by means of Va drive 10 shaft It throughthe action of a connecting rod i9, and crank pin I'I.V Successive rowsof the primers are'thus moved directly under the tools upon eachinsertion of the cams I between adjacent rollers 2, The drive shaft I'G'is inturn 15 driven by an electric motor, orother suitable power,Vthrough the action of clutch p late I-Bwith clutch key 29. The other endof the connecting rod I9 is drivingly connectedV to the ram Itl throughthe toggle links 2.9 and 2|, toggle link 20 20 turning. aboutv pivot v22andtoggle link 2| turning; about pivotY 24 .on the, ram I5; AThetogglelinks; 291 and 2l are movingly connected-at knuckle pin 25.' The,position of pivot 22 maybe adjusted by.. means 'of the adjustingmember23; Y, Connecting 25 rod it. is.A connected to toggle link29f by.means of wristpin'ZS. f, v j

Y VStarting lever 2l, having clutch `cam 23,.i's movably attached tovframe VIII by means of starting lever .pivot 312. The starting lever2-1'is resiliently 30 held at one endby clutchflever springy 30, whichisattached atY the other end to spring bracket 3iy on frame` Iii'.Clutch cam- Y28 istdesiglned to .engage with clutch key 29 to throw thepress ont oi` operation. Latchbar- 33-iscon-nectedr atY its upper 35endto starting .lever 2lb-y means` of1V pin 34. Latch 35, which.isfvoperated by- -releaserod 36, Iis designed. toi/fit innotchiS-'I inthe. latch bar 33E, while the press is in`V operation.A The .latch 35turns about' latch pivot -39 on latch bracket 38' 40! (Figure l'71).Latch-bracket likewise servesv as a guide'- fo-r `latch bar33.Latchlsipring'- l49, connected at one end to latch -35 and at theotherto mileage, rod guide 5t,v tends to manitain latch resiliently incontactwithlatchbar I33". 45-

VLatch control member 4I havingsurface -421- w-hicriV serves as a stopfor bar" 33- and hav-ing a recesses and stoplug dill-,is movably mountedon frame I4 at pivot 45; Spring 46 connected at one end to latchlcontrol member 4I :and: a-t ther-other 5'0"' end 'to "spring bracket4'I- on frame 'I4,- tends'toA plullthe latch control'member 4Iclockwise, that isto the right. In operating position latch Ica-r 33restsin recess 4-3. When latch control-member di is -soturned that itssurface 42: prev'ents down- 55 ward movement oflatch bar 33, thepresswill be locked out of operation because` clutch cam- 28 cannot bewithdrawn Vfrom engagement with1 clutch-.key 29.-' The slide positioningbar`48 is moi/ably attached to slide support I3- with guide .3.0 rods53A in s lide supporty I3," supporting theslide positioning barV 48H.The slottedV member 54 car- Y rieti-'by slide positioning bar "i8engages stop pin onslide support I3 tov limit the movement of slidepositioning bar 48. Slide positioning bar -seryesasa stop for workcarrying member or slide I2 Vby contacting the end plates 49 of' thechannels. Likewise, the slide' positioning bar `43, when engaging theendplates, 49erV the channels, maybe pushed forward to place Athe workcarryy ing member I-2- and channels l- Vin starting position,AV that is,so that the first roll adjacent-the thrustb-lock- 4 is inV properfposition under cam' I; Operating arm 5;8; a part orprattachedjto-cl'ran-l nel end plate t2u and carrying setscrew 5I when 75 4 moved tothe left, engages latch control member 4! turning it to the left, sothat downward movement of latch bar 33 will be prevented by surface 42and the press will be kept out of operation by action of clutch cam 28on clutch key 29.

In the operation oi the press, in running position, as illustrated inFigure 5,-latch bar 33 rests in recess 43 and latch 35 is held in notch31 by spring et. As the ram I5 is moved up and down, cams I are likewisemoved up and down and, upon each insertionbetween successive rolls 2,drive or move the work Ycarrying member forward one roll diameter uponeach insertion.

Y l While the cam I is inserted with its parallel `faces between therolls 2, the work carrying member i2 is held rigidly in position and thetools carried by ram I Fi operate-on the work carried by member I2. Whenthe work carrying member and chan nels have moved forward to the pointwhere channel end plate 49 engages release rod 36,'the latch 35 ispushed yout of notch 3l, thus unlatching bar 33 which is pulled' up; byspring 39. so, that clutch cam 28 engages. clutch key 29 to stop thepress. Simultaneously, spring 46 effects a clockwise-movement of'control member 4 I, so that stop Vlug 4.13 rests against latch bar33.with surface 42 below bar l331 toprevent the press fromfrestarting, orfrom being started by manual. depression of the lever 2:1. Y

Work carrying member. I2 may then fbe pulled' backwards manually orotherwise, for 'instance by means of channel' end plates 49', to thelimit permitted by slide positioning bar 468.. During 4this operation,set screw 5I effects4 accu-riterclockwisc movement ofcontrol member 4Iso that recess 43 is on the opposite side of'y bar 33' andl surface l2is underA bar 33 'to/prevent the press from being started. In this,-position, the unloading and loading of'wor-k on the carrying member I2can `be readily accomplished. Y 'Y Atte-r the new work hasbeenpositioned von Y member I2, it isthen .placed in starting position bypushing forward, tothe limit permitted by' pin 55, the slide positionbar 48, whichiin acts'V on the Vend plates 49 ofthev channelsA tomovemember I2 and set screw 5I forward, thusp'ermitting spring 46 to rotatecontrol member 4i clockwiseunti-l recess -43 is; under bar 33.

The press can then be starte-d' bydepressing thev starting lever' 2-7'.Whenl the startinglevefV is depressed, bar 33 is recess 3 and isretainedtherein by thelocking action of latch 35 on notch 3l during theVindexing movements of cams I-, until the latch 35 is pushed out ofnotch 3l by the action of' end plate 49 on release rodL 35, which again,as described above, stops thefpress. Y

Ordinarily 'the workV carrying member I2 willy beheld in itssuccessivefpositionsbyVV its own'- weight and friction between itV andtheslidesuppo-rt' I3.

Any other suitable means Vmayy be employed howeverY for holdingy thework fcarrying member I2'l in its successive; positions asI the cam- Iis withdrawn from successive insertions beof brake release lever" 62".

cannot' i move backwards withoutY the operation A In ythe abovespe'ciiic example the application` of the present invention to a pressfor loading ammunition or the like is described in detail, but it shouldbe understood that the invention is likewise applicable to other devicesand mechanisms in which 'it is necessary to accurately position objects.Likewise, although in the description the cam and roller assemblyareeffective for a distance of only one roller diameter on each insertionofthe cam, the positioning distances may be made two or more rollerdiameters merely by appropriately changing the width of the cam I andthe take-up in the resilient member indicated at and 6 in the drawings.The work positioning distances may also be varied by changing the.diameter of the rollers, the larger diameter rollers providing largerdistances between work positions and smaller diameter rollers providingsmaller distances between the work positions. Likewise, the cam I,instead of being connected to the ram I5, may be drivingly connected tothe work carrying member I2, and the series of rollers 2 may then becarried by the ram I5, so that the cam I will move along with the workcarrying member I2. It is thus obvious that applicants invention has awide field of utility and that many changes in the assembly and a widevariation in the construction thereof can be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of applicants inven- 1 tion.

This invention accordingly provides simple, eicient, and inexpensivemeans for indexing and positioning objects with a high degree ofprecision. It is to be understood that the embodi.

ments of the present invention as shown and described are onlyillustrative, and that the scope of the invention is not to be limitedthereby except insofar as is dened in the following claims.

Having thus describedthe invention, what is claimed and desired tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A work positioning mechanism comprising a roller element and a camelement, said roller element having a series of laterally contiguousrollers held in a channel at one end of the series by a stop and at theother end of the series by a resilient member, said cam element beingadapted for insertion between adjacent rollers to change the relativepositions of said elements upon each insertion of said cam element, oneof said elements being drivingly connected to a work carrying member,and the other of said elements being connected to a tool supportingmember.

2. A work positioning mechanism comprising a cam element and a rollerelement, said roller element being a series of laterally contiguousrollers held in a channel at one end of the series by a stop and at theother end of the series by a resilient member interposed between therollers and a stop, said cam element being adapted for insertion betweenadjacent rollers to change the relative positions of said elements uponeach ir.- sertion of said cam, one of said elements being drivinglyconnected to a work carrying member, means for supporting and guidingsaid work carrying member, the other of said elements being connected toa tool supporting member, said resilient member permitting lateralmovement of said rollers between said stops only to the extentoccasioned by the insertion of said cam, so that said elements areinterlocked during each complete insertion of the cam while the toolsare in working position.

3. A work positioning mechanism comprising in combination a series oflaterally contiguous 6i rollers, a stop at one end of said series ofrollers, a stop separated from the other end of said series of rollersby a resilient member, said stops being rigidly connected to a workcarrying member, a

frame supporting said work carrying member, and a translation camadapted for insertion between adjacent rollers operative to drive thesaid stops and work carrying member forward at least one roll diameterupon each insertion of said cam.

4. A worlr positioning mechanism comprising.

in combination a series of laterally contiguous rollers, a forward stopfor said rollers rigidly connected to a work carrying member, a rearstop rigidly connected to said work carrying member and separated fromthe other end of said series of rollers by a resilient member, meanssupporting said Work carrying member, and a cam movably carried by saidsupport means for insertion between adjacent rollers and operative uponeach insertion between said rollers to drive said stops and workcarrying member forward oneroller diameter. y

5. A work positioning mechanism comprising in combination a series oflaterally contiguous.

rollers, a stop at one end of said series of rollers, a stop and anabutting member separated from each other by a resilient member at theotherV end of said series of rollers, said stop being rigid-g lyconnected to a work carrying member, a frame supporting said workcarrying member, and a translating cam adapted for insertion betweenadjacent rollers and operative to drive the' said stops and Workcarrying member forward at least one roller diameter upon each insertionof said cam, said abutting member and adjacent stop being separated fromeach other by full extension of said resilient means a distance equal tothe width of said cam, so. that said stops and work carrying member areheld stationary while said cam remains inserted between saidrollers.

6. A work positioning mechanism comprising in combination a series oflaterally contiguous rollers, a forward stop for said rollers rigidlyconnected to the work carrying member, an abutting member at the otherend of said series of rollers, means supporting said work carryingmember, a cam movably carried by said support means for insertionbetween adjacent rollers, a rear stop rigidly connected to said workcarrying member and separated from said abutting member a distance equalto the width of said cam by a resilient member, said cam being operativeupon each insertion between said rollers to drive said stop and workcarrying member forward at least one roll diameter and While insertedbetween said rollers to hold said stop and work carrying memberstationary.

'7. In a press having a tool carrying member and a work carrying memberthe combination comprising a roller element having a series of laterallycontiguous rollers held in a channel at one end of the series by a stopand at the other end of the series by a resilient member, a cam elementadapted for insertion between adjacent rollers to change the relativepositions of said elements upon each insertion of said cam element, y

Vcarrying vmember has'traveled the distance provided -forby said cam androller members..

.8; In Va press having a tool carrying member Vand a work Vcarryingmember the combination comprising channels each carrying a series oflat- Y eral-ly contiguous rollers. and rigidly attached on each side ofsaid work carrying member, labutting members in said channels at one endof said` series of rollers separated Vfrom the end of said Y `channel byresilient'members, cams carried by said work carrying member adapted forinsertion between adjacent rollers in each `of said channels, said'V cambeing adapted to drive said channels and Work carrying member forward atleast one roller diameter upon each insertion, said abutting membersbeing separatedrfrom the Yends of said? channels by said resilientmembers lor- 8T when said work carrying member has traveled the completeworking distance through said press. Y 9.`A work positioning mechanismcomprising roller means and cam means, one'of said means being drivinglyconnected to a work carrying member and the other of saidvmeans beingcon- Y nected to a tool supporting member, said camV meansgbeing adaptedfor insertion between successive rollers'in said roller means to drivesaid work carrying member forward to successive predeterminedpositions', and means forholding said work carrying member stationaryWhile saidV cam means is Withdrawn fromfbetween successive rollers insaid roller means. v

10. A work positioning mechanism comprising a series of rollers anda'cam adapted for insertion between adjacent'roller's in said series ofrollers, said series of rollers being carried in a channel', saidYchannel'being attached to a work carrying member, said cam beingadapted upon each insertion between said rollers tov drive said workcarrying member forward at least one roller diameter, means for holdingvsaid work carrying member stationary while said cam is between said'.rollers, and means for holding said work carrying member stationarywhile said cam is being withdrawn from between said rollers.

